SHARE ON: |
| |
| |
 |
 |
|
|
Some Saskatchewan school staff trying to book COVID-19 vaccine shots before they return to in-person learning on Monday are being denied the ability to schedule their appointments.
According to the province, Saskatchewans COVID-19 vaccination booking system was made available to residents 40-years and older, as well as a variety of remaining frontline employees, starting at 8 a.m. Friday. Teachers and educational staff are included on that list.
A staff member at school in Regina who asked to remain anonymous, said when she called to book an appointment, the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) staff member told her she would have to wait for a call from an SHA supervisor in the next number of days after hearing the patient was under 40-years-old.
“We want to make sure that were verifying getting the right people in that are on the priority list and it is a little bit of a process, but its very important that we make sure that the right people are getting into the vaccination clinics at the right time,” Minister of Health Paul Merriman said.
Merriman says it’s important people remember there are also drive throughs and mobile clinics available.
“My phone call this morning was my third attempt at finding a vaccine. The drive through will be my fourth. It’s extremely frustrating to have such an ineffective system. At this point my headspace is ‘don’t get your hopes up they’ll even accept you on Sunday,’” the school staff member said.
The school staff member said she asked for a better timeline, and the SHA member said they will receive a call in the next number of days. Adding the system does not allow SHA staff to book anyone under the age of 40. The SHA member told her only an SHA supervisor can book an appointment for someone under 40.
“The pharmacies are just starting this process so its going to be, theres going to be a little bit of ebb and flow to it,” Merriman said.
The staff member worries she won’t have a vaccine in time for in-person learning on Monday. She said she has been put on numerous waitlists for pharmacies, and will also attempt to get a vaccine at the drive-thru in Regina on Sunday.
The president of the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation (STF) doesn’t support returning to in-class learning so soon and said teachers and staff should be vaccinated before gathering again.
“The numbers in the Regina region are just as high as they were when they went to online learning. So we’d feel a lot better if we waited until teachers were vaccinated, have that two to three weeks build up immunity, and then get rapid testing up and running. It seems like it’s a bit of a rush decision,” STF President Patrick Maze said.
Maze said about 7,000 teachers plus other educational staff still need a vaccine.
He added that it’s understandable there would be challenges with so many essential workers trying to book an appointment, and he prefers this approach over teachers having to wait for their age eligibility.
But he’s also hearing about some teachers and staff being denied any opportunity for an appointment
“We’re trying to deal with those situations in a one off basis, my understanding is out STF executive director has already been in contact with the Ministry of Education and they are in touch with Health and trying to clear up any misunderstandings,” Maze said.
Maze says the STF is also renewing calls for Saskatoon schools to return to online learning as well.
Opposition leader Ryan Meili says the situation has been made more complicated than it needs to be.
“This is another example of a chaotic response. This is a government that rejected the recommendations of the SHAs Expert Policy panel on the vaccine rollout, has been back and forth changing things over and over again, and now theyre telling people that theyre priority that they have no way to actually access that priority service,” Meili said.
Merriman added the Johnson and Johnson vaccine could be available for Saskatchewan residents by Tuesday next week, so more drive thrus can be opened.
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
12 pm |
| 21 ℃ |
| FEW CLOUDS |
WIND: W 11 KM/H
GUSTING TO 17 KM/H |
|
|
|
1 pm |
| 22 ℃ |
| FEW CLOUDS |
WIND: WNW 12 KM/H
GUSTING TO 19 KM/H |
|
|
|
2 pm |
| 22 ℃ |
| FEW CLOUDS |
WIND: WNW 12 KM/H
GUSTING TO 21 KM/H |
|
|
|
3 pm |
| 22 ℃ |
| FEW CLOUDS |
WIND: NW 14 KM/H
GUSTING TO 25 KM/H |
|
|
 |
4 pm |
| 21 ℃ |
| CLEAR SKY |
WIND: NW 16 KM/H
GUSTING TO 23 KM/H |
|
|
|
5 pm |
| 21 ℃ |
| CLEAR SKY |
WIND: NNW 16 KM/H
GUSTING TO 22 KM/H |
|
|
|
6 pm |
| 23 ℃ |
| CLEAR SKY |
WIND: NNW 15 KM/H
GUSTING TO 21 KM/H |
|
|
 |
7 pm |
| 24 ℃ |
| BROKEN CLOUDS |
WIND: N 11 KM/H
GUSTING TO 15 KM/H |
|
|
|
|
TODAY |
HIGH OF 24 ℃
LOW OF 7 ℃ |
| FEW CLOUDS |
|
|
 |
WEDNESDAY |
HIGH OF 28 ℃
LOW OF 12 ℃ |
| LIGHT RAIN |
|
|
|
THURSDAY |
HIGH OF 28 ℃
LOW OF 12 ℃ |
| BROKEN CLOUDS |
|
|
|
FRIDAY |
HIGH OF 26 ℃
LOW OF 15 ℃ |
| LIGHT RAIN |
|
|
|
SATURDAY |
HIGH OF 30 ℃
LOW OF 16 ℃ |
| OVERCAST CLOUDS |
|
|
|
SUNDAY |
HIGH OF 27 ℃
LOW OF 20 ℃ |
| LIGHT RAIN |
|
|
|
MONDAY |
HIGH OF 28 ℃
LOW OF 15 ℃ |
| CLEAR SKY |
|
|
|
TUESDAY |
HIGH OF 23 ℃
LOW OF 13 ℃ |
| BROKEN CLOUDS |
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
SEAN STEMALY
4 WHEEL HIGH
12:29 PM |
|
 |
ELI YOUNG BAND
WHAT DO LONELY PEOPLE DO
12:25 PM |
|
 |
THOMAS RHETT
AINT A BAD LIFE
12:15 PM |
|
 |
TAYLOR SWIFT
JUMP THEN FALL
12:11 PM |
|
 |
TOBY KEITH
I LOVE THIS BAR
12:07 PM |
|
 |
BLACKJACK BILLY
BLOOD SWEAT AND BEER
11:59 AM |
|
 |
GRANGER SMITH
SOMETHING TO GO ON
11:53 AM |
|
 |
LEE BRICE
I DRIVE YOUR TRUCK
11:49 AM |
|
 |
RAELYNN
FUNNY GIRL
11:43 AM |
|
 |
HUNTER HAYES
FIX ME
11:39 AM |
|
 
 |
